Colts Or Bears?

February 01, 2007|MICHAEL WANBAUGH Tribune Staff Writer

OSCEOLA -- Listen to 12-year-old Tyler Ward talk and the tint of navy blue and burnt orange in his words is obvious. "I'm a fan of a lot of teams," said Tyler, a sixth-grader at Grissom Middle School, "but I like the Bears the best." Take a gander at his wardrobe, however, and his loyalty these unique days includes a lighter shade of speed blue. "Well, I like the Colts and the Bears," he said, "but I'd like to see the Bears win it." Color him -- and he's not alone in these parts -- conflicted. On Monday, Tyler wore a jersey to school that sums up how he and many other locals feel about this Sunday's Super Bowl XLI. Half Bears. Half Colts. The Chicago Bears play the Indianapolis Colts Sunday in Miami for the world championship. Tyler's jersey was the creation of his grandmother, Sharon Johnson, who claims to watch 12 hours of NFL football every Sunday. "My son and I both have the NFL (Sunday Ticket) package on DIRECTV," Johnson said. "My husband buys it every year for me for my birthday. I'm the big football fan in my house." Johnson said she is a lifelong Bears fan, but began pulling for the Colts in the late 1990s after they drafted quarterback Peyton Manning. After both teams advanced to the Super Bowl nearly two weeks ago, Tyler asked his grandmother for a Bears jersey. The thought of splicing a Colts and Bears jersey together never crossed his mind. Last Friday, after searching two previous stores, Johnson found a Bears home blue jersey and a Colts road white jersey at J.C. Penney and bought them both. The Bears jersey is a replica of veteran linebacker Brian Urlachler, No. 54. The Colts jersey is a replica of rookie running back Joseph Addai, No. 29. Johnson took them home and split each of them apart at the side seams. She then switched the fronts and backs and stitched them together. "I thought about cutting them up the middle, but thought this way was better and a little bit easier too," Johnson said. "It took me about four hours. I worked on them a little bit here and there all weekend." When she gave the shirt to Tyler, he loved it. He was shocked, but thought it was great. "I was like, 'Oh my God,' " Tyler said. "I only asked her if I could have a Bears jersey. I didn't know she was going to get a Colts jersey and put them together." Tyler wore the jersey to school Monday, and said his classmates thought it was pretty cool. Some, he said, even asked if his grandmother could make one for them. "They said it was awesome," Tyler said. "I'd say most of the kids at my school want the Bears to win, but some of them like the Colts." The Bears have advanced to the Super Bowl just once in their storied history. They made it count, too, dominating the New England Patriots, 46-10, in Super Bowl XX to cap the 1985 season. The Bears only lost one game that season and remain one of the most highly regarded teams of that Super Bowl era. This is the first time the Colts have qualified for the Super Bowl since moving from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984. The Baltimore Colts were 1-1 in the Super Bowl, losing Super Bowl III to Joe Namath's New York Jets and winning Super Bowl V over the Dallas Cowboys on a field goal by rookie kicker Jim O'Brien as time expired. That was Jan. 17, 1971, some 36 years ago. Current Colts wide receiver Ricky Proehl is the only player on either Super Bowl roster this year who was even alive when that game was played. "If you would have asked me at the beginning of the year who would be in the Super Bowl, these are the last two teams I would have picked," said Johnson, who was born and raised in South Bend and works for the University of Notre Dame's alumni office. "For my two favorite teams to get to the Super Bowl together is unbelievable." So, who will prevail, the front of the jersey or the back? "I think the Colts are going to win," Johnson said. "31-23. That's my prediction."Staff writer Michael Wanbaugh: mwanbaugh@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6176